1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner cartridge to perform an image formation, image forming apparatus provided therewith, and toner cartridge recycling method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally there has been an image forming apparatus that selectively exposes a uniformly charged photoconductive material to form a toner image, transfers the toner image to a recording medium, and thereby performs an image formation. In order to simplify the toner replenishment operation in such an image forming apparatus, there is a toner cartridge formed by assembling a toner storage box, developing roller, exposure roller, and others.
There is further provided in recent years a toner cartridge capable of being separated into a plurality of units in order to exchange only a unit with the toner storage box and reuse reusable components in replenishing the toner. However, such a cartridge has the possibility the toner may leak from the toner cartridge in exchanging the unit with the toner storage box. Then it is considered to cover an opening of the toner storage box with a film to prevent the toner form leaking from the toner storage box. However, this configuration may have the possibility the toner leaks from the toner storage box in exchanging the unit with the film peeled off, in other words, the unit with a used toner storage box.
In order to solve the above problem, it is considered to further provide a magnetic developing roller at a position such that the roller covers the opening of the unit with the toner storage box. Thereby, the magnetic toner assuredly adheres to the developing roller without leaking. As a result, the leak of the toner from the toner storage box is still prevented after the film is peeled off the opening.
However, in the conventional toner cartridge, since it is necessary to provide the unit having the toner storage box with the developing roller, the developing roller is exchanged along with the toner storage box frequently. However, the developing roller is expensive, and it is not necessary to exchange the developing roller frequently because of long life thereof. Therefore, it is inevitable that the expensive developing roller is exchanged frequently and wastefully, resulting in the problem that the running cost of an image forming apparatus is increased, and that the financial burden of users is increased.